Power Consumption of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) Workstations: Quantification and Comparison of...

This study aimed to quantify the power consumption of Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) workstations across common operating modes.

Power consumption was measured for three PACS workstation setups (two hospital-based, one home-based) across five operating modes, including active, standby, powered-down, and transition states. Measurements were conducted using an external power meter, with three repeated measurements per mode and setting (total N = 45). Static modes were extrapolated from 10-minute intervals; dynamic modes included measured duration. Statistical analysis assessed variability and differences between settings. Departmental consumption was estimated by scaling per-workstation data to 105 units and benchmarked against common household appliances. Conversion ratios and break-even times for transitioning between modes were calculated.

Measurement variability was low, with no significant differences between repetitions or inclusion of mammography workstations. At the departmental level, the total consumption reached 24.99 kW in full operation. Even non-active states had considerable power consumption (18.37 kW logged off; 2.41 kW powered down). Mode comparisons showed up to 7.61-fold differences in power consumption. Break-even times were 6.67 minutes (logged-off to active) and 5.86 minutes (powered-down to active), indicating short idle periods justify reduced-power states.

PACS workstations represent a substantial and likely underrecognized source of power consumption in radiology. Quantitative insights and simple decision tools, such as the conversion factors and break-even times presented in this study, can support more energy-efficient workstation management and reduce the environmental impact of radiology operations.